The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-16
THE BARRACKS FIGHT.
MAYOR TESTERS REASONS FOR
NOT SIGNING THE DEED.

! He Wants the Barracks Lot for the
New Hotel-Other Sites Eligible for
| Public Building-$7O,OO Already
Subscribed to the Hotel Scheme.
The report of District Attorney Query
upon the titles to the barracks lot has
awakened good deal of interest, particu-
larly as it implies that it will not be such an
easy matter to take the site as was at first
| supposed. The fact that the advocates of
the scheme may have to go before Congress
and ask for a condemnation gives rise to
the inference that they are not yet through
with their fight.
Mr.. Query speaks Of Mayor Testers in
terest and suggests that Congress may have
to condemn that, but the suggestion is APP
parently made without knowledge of the
fact that Mayor Lester is not alone in his
position; that, although he is the only one
so situated as TO be able to make fight he
represents not himself alone but the entire
minority of the stock of the Ogethorpe
Real Estate Company, and it is said that
this minority of the stock is a majority of
the stockholders.
MAYOR TESTERS POSITION.
Mayor Lester was seen last night and
is. ut is this" he replied, the great want
of the city is a hotel, and Savannah would
reap far greater benefit from q new hotel
than from new public building. If it
were an impossibility to put up hotel |
| should not object to selling the lot for a
| public building site, but the hotel scheme is
not dead. We have been greatly eucour-
aged and have received assurances that it
will be built If the post Office scheme was
out of the way, think the stockholders in
the company would double their subscrip-
lions to build a hotel Under
these circumstances | agree with
those who are acting with me in this mat
ter. do not oppose the erection of pub
lie building, but do not see why it cannot
be done without killing an enterprise that
would be of more advantage to the city than
the new post office. Judge Speer says that.
the best site for the building is DR.. Hops.
Well, that is admitting that the barracks
lot is not the only eligible site. Twenty
sites can be found which are as large as and
more conveniently located than DR.. Hops,
and if his will do, why not one of the others.
And if Congress can condemn the barracks
lot, why can it not condemn some other lot?
Why cling to Bull streetl
OTHER STREETS THAN BULL STREET.
at is not an absolute necessity to have
the post office on Bull street. Abercorn is
just as good street for it. Whitaker will
do, and do not see why the government
cannot select a site upon some other street.
The great objection / have to disposing of
the barracks lot is that it destroys all the
work that has been done in the direction of
building hotel. We have succeeded in in
volving S67, 900 in the project already. That
money is constantly urging those who are
interested to push the enterprise to compile
ton. If we accept the value of the
property, or portion of it-and if they are
going to take any of it, I'd rather they
should take it all, and distribute that money
among the stockholders-we will have to
begin at the beginning again if ever we
want to put up the hotel My position is
simply this: That desire post office if it
will not kill the hotel scheme, but / think
that a hotel would benefit the city more
than the post office would
THE HOTEL SCHEME.
A canvass has been going on for some
time for the purpose of ascertaining if a
sufficient amount of money can be raised to
build the hotel. Three hundred thousand
dollars is the amount required for the en-
ttrprise. The effort thus far has been con-
| fined to those who are able to contribute
literally, and $4,000 have already been
| pledged. The plan is to secure first of all
| 500, 900 in stock subscriptions.
The conditions of subscription are the
| securing of the barracks site, bona fide
| subscription 70 800, 900 in capital stock and
to 100000 of an issue of 5000, 900 of per
cent. thirty year bonds The promoters
of the enterprise anticipate no difficulty in
placing the bonds as soon as the stock is
subscribed for
| The benefits to be derived from the cree
| ton of a new modern hotel have been so
often rehearsed that it is useless to recite
hem again, and with the amount already
secured there can be little doubt that when
the subscription list is opened to those of
smaller means there will be no trouble in
raising a considerable amount in small sub
| scriptions, if they are required. Those who
have undertaken what may well be called
| patriotic labor will deserve the thanks of
| their fellow-citizens, whether successful or
not. 1t appears now that they will be sue
| peSsflIl